Welcome to our weighted blanket UK guide, featuring the five weighted blankets we think are worth your money.
The idea of a weighted blanket (according to the manufacturers) is that it has a ‘relaxing effect on joints, muscles and tendons’. This helps you ‘feel rested physically and psychologically’. That’s according to Gravity Blankets.
Things to keep in mind when shopping for a weighted blanket:
- Heavier people need heavier weighted blankets. Manufacturers such as Gravity Blankets suggest that you should get one that is about 10% of your bodyweight. Other guides suggest about 7-12% of your bodyweight.
- Some have machine washable covers that can be removed. Others are a bit fussier and have to be ‘spot cleaned’ which is a bit like when your mum used to spit on a hanky and wipe your face as you stood at the school gate.
- Some are made from breathable natural materials like cotton, whilst others are made from synthetic materials. Cotton tends to be a more expensive option.
- Weighted blankets vary in size quite a lot, although most of them are somewhere around a single size duvet. You can use a weighted blanket without an extra cover, but if you plan to use your own duvet cover on top then don’t assume it will fit every weighted blanket on the UK market.
- There are various safety guidelines with weighted blankets. They vary with each product, but common guidelines are that they shouldn’t be used by pregnant women, people with circulatory issues or young children. I encourage you to read the safety advice before you buy one (i.e. don’t blame me).
With all that out the way, here are five of the best weighted blankets you can buy in the UK. We looked at things like value for money, customer review scores and product specification before making our choices. We’ve tried to pick a good range, including some cheap weighted blankets for those who are just curious, right through to the more expensive and luxurious weighted blankets.
Prices are correct at the time of typing in 2024.
1. John Lewis Outer Space Weighted Blanket for children – 2kg – £49
Let’s start with a weighted blanket aimed at children – the John Lewis Outer Space Weighted Blanket.
I’m not assuming that an adult wouldn’t want this space-themed design (I certainly would), but the size is only 90cm x 120cm so your legs will stick out the bottom if you are taller than about five foot.
The width is the same as a single mattress.
Natural or synthetic?
The description is a little confusing, but I think I’m right in saying that the cover is cotton. It is described as ‘soft plush’ but elsewhere mentions cotton and gives a thread count of 144 (that usually suggests it is cotton). The filling is a mix of ‘polyester fibre’ (a manmade material) and ‘glass beads’ (a natural material). Cotton is good at keeping you cool, so it’s a good material for bedding.
The general idea with weighted blankets like this one is that the blanket should be a ‘maximum of 10% of the child’s body weight’. This blanket is 2kg, so that means it should only be used by children that weigh more than 20kg. That is roughly the weight of an average six year old in the UK.
There are some other safety warnings that come with these blankets, so have a read of those before you buy one. For example, John Lewis & Partners don’t recommend using one if ‘you suffer from respiratory disorders, such as asthma or sleep apnoea’.
Reviews for this weighted blanket are generally very positive (4/5). We also like it because it can go in the washing machine. You can’t tumble dry it or iron it, but it’s small enough that it should dry relatively quickly.
Limited choices
On the downside, John Lewis & Partners don’t offer a big choice of colours and styles. Your main alternative is a Disney Marvel weighted blanket that is the same size.
Pros: respected brand with awards for customer service, machine washable
Cons: poor choice of designs, not standard bedding size, cannot be tumble dried.
2. Brentfords Weighted Blanket – 4kg, 6kg or 8kg – £16-£23
If you want to try out a weighted blanket but don’t want to spend a huge amount of money then this cheap Brentfords weighted blanket is worth considering. We’ve included it because it offers a lot for the money and scores a very impressive 4.6/5 from more than 20,000 reviews on Amazon.
It comes in three weights – 4kg, 6kg and 8kg. If we apply the usual rule that you should aim for 10% of your bodyweight then that would make them suitable for people who weigh about 6 stone, 9 stone and 12 stone (or pick the closest one, obviously).
The size won’t be right for everyone
The main downsides that I can spot are that it comes in unusual sizes. The description recommends that you can attach your own cover, but only one of them is a standard duvet cover size, so you’ll need to improvise a bit.
The lightest one is quite small at 125cm x 150cm, which is shorter and wider than a standard single duvet cover.
The medium sized one is 125cm x 180cm, which is 10cm shorter and narrower than a standard double duvet cover. You’ll be able to make do but it will be a bit baggy.
The largest and heaviest one is the only one that fits a standard size. It is 150cm x 200cm, which is a king size duvet.
As far as I can tell, you can’t machine wash it.
As you might expect for this price, it doesn’t use particularly fancy materials and is 100% synthetic. However, synthetic materials tend to be better for people with allergies as they don’t gather dust so easily.
You can pick from six different colours including silver, pink and black.
Pros: very low price, positive reviews, choice of weights
Cons: unknown brand, modest choice of colours, generally not standard sizes for a duvet cover
3. Gravity Blanket – 4-12kg – £119 to £209
Gravity Blankets are probably the most famous name in the UK for weighted blankets. They’ve been going since 2013 and get a decent score of 1.9/5 on TrustPilot from 2400+ customers.
They’re also one of the more expensive weighted blanket companies – so what are you getting for your money?
A big range
Gravity Blankets come in a much wider range of colours, weights and styles than most other weighted blankets.
First you choose from one of six blankets. Half of them are for kids and half are for adults. The posher and more expensive ones use things like stainless steel balls rather than glass microbeads.
You then choose your blanket size, your blanket weight (based on your own weight) and then your colour.
There are five different weight options – ranging from 4kg for someone who weighs about 5-8 stone through to 12kg for someone who weighs more than 17 stone (there’s more detailed guidance here).
The 135cm x 200cm version is 10cm longer than a standard double whilst the 150cm x 220cm version is 20cm longer than a king size. I’m not exactly sure why they chose these sizes, rather than the standard ones.
The returns policy on the Gravity Blanket is a bit more limited than it used to be. You can return it within 100 days, but your only option is an exchange for another of their products and you have to pay for the cost of the return. A few years ago Gravity Blankets offered a ‘guarantee that your mood and the quality of your sleep will improve’ within 28 days. However, I can see no mention of this on the site any more so I assume this offer has ended.
Better materials than most rival weighted blankets
Other things which bump up the price are the fact that it uses cotton (as well as some manmade materials). Cotton is naturally breathable, so it’s a good material for blankets.
Gravity Blankets seem to charge the same price for their blanket regardless of which weight you choose, whereas some companies charge more for their heavier blankets. So, they’re particularly good value if you’re heavier than average.
It’s also machine washable, which is a real plus point in my opinion (have a read of the instructions and check your washing machine can handle the weight).
Pros: big name brand in the weighted blankets market, machine washable, cotton
Cons: much more expensive than most weighted blankets, limited returns options
4. Silentnight Weighted Blanket – 3kg to 9kg – £55-£72
If you’d like to get a mid-priced weighted blanket from a brand you know then this one from Silentnight is worth a look.
Silentnight is the UK’s biggest mattress company and they make pretty much everything in the bedding and beds market. Overall, the brand scores an average of 4.2/5 on TrustPilot. This weighted blanket scores 4.6/5 on Amazon.
It comes in three weights. The Silentnight ‘kids’ weighted blanket weighs 3kg and ‘should be approximately 10% of the child’s body weight’ according to the description (a quick Google suggests that the average 10 year old weighs 32kg – please do read the safety instructions and guidance though).
The other weights available are 6.8kg and 9kg. Silentnight recommend that you should only use them if you’re over 18. If we apply the 10% rule, then that would make the 6.8kg version ideal for someone who weighs 11 stone. The 9kg version is best for someone who weighs 14 stone.
It’s made from ‘soft quilted microfibre’ which is a posh way of saying that it is synthetic rather than a more expensive natural material such as cotton.
Cotton is generally better at keeping you cool, but synthetic materials have the advantage of not shrinking as much and coping with lots of washing.
This model is machine washable, which makes sense considering how it is made. The majority of washing machines can cope with 7kg or more but there are a few out there which have a lower weight limit.
Pros: famous bedding brand with good reputation, machine washable, range of weights available
Cons: lack of colour options, synthetic materials are not as breathable as cotton
…and it is machine washable
5. Kudd.ly Weighted Blanket – 4.7kg and 7kg – £49
The website for Kudd.ly is full of people who look absolutely thrilled with their weighted blanket.
Perhaps more importantly, it uses a slightly different design to others and so is worth a mention.
The blanket doesn’t have a cover but is an all in one thing that can go in the washing machine.
That may sound like quite a dull difference, but it they reckon it makes it ‘completely worry-free, snag-free’ and ‘super easy to care for’.
It comes two sizes – 4.7kg and 7kg. They say that the smaller one is suitable for children who are 8+ and who weigh ‘at least 35-36kg’. On average, children won’t reach that weight until they are about 11 years old.
It is made from ‘Cosy, ultra-soft temperature-regulating MicroCool™ Fleece shell’. In other words, it is a synthetic material rather than cotton.
You don’t get a trial period with the Kuddly Weighted Blanket. You can return it within 30 days but it needs to be in the condition that it arrived and you have pay about £4 towards the cost of the return.
Pros: standard single duvet size, machine washable, all in one design with no cover
Cons: only two weights, synthetic materials
